If football is a game of inches, then golf is a game of millimeters. The distance between blades of grass can change what might have been a sweet shot blasted 300 yards straight down the fairway into one shanked hard into the woods. Coming up too quickly on a stroke can be equally disastrous, sending the ball skidding into the rough instead of the green.
It is hardly surprising, then, that today's most sought-after golf equipment is designed to minimize the impact of these millimeters. From manufacturing golf balls that spin less to milling drivers that allow players to change the club's corner weighting to best suit their individual swing, new technologies can help average duffers shoot farther and with more accuracy than ever before.
How to make a ball that flies farther? "By making a ball that spins less," says former Vermont amateur champion Dave Bennett, who is the PGA head golf professional at the Stowe Country Club in Stowe, Vt. Today, Titleist--a division of Fortune Brands --makes the new Pro V1 ball that is said to travel a full three yards farther than last year and as fast as 167 mph. The new balls don't look markedly different from balls 50 years ago, but they are made of newer and lighter core materials like polybutadiene and have altered dimple patterns and shape. Effectively, they stay in the air longer, spin less and sit better when they hit the green.
The golf ball revolution is to thank for the fast-growing popularity of the hybrid iron. With golf balls that now have less spin, traditional long irons have become more difficult to use. The answer: the hybrid iron, which has more weight in the sole of the club head, rather than the middle, to produce unprecedented lift, stability and forgiveness so golfers can launch the ball into the air quickly and with minimal spin.
"The biggest asset the hybrid club brings to golfers is its versatility. You hit the ball higher and farther, plus the hybrid is more forgiving--people get the whole package," said Chuck Dunbar, PGA head golf professional at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California.
No longer seen as "frankenclubs," hybrids won the affirmation they needed last year when Todd Hamilton, a rookie on the PGA Tour, beat Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson to win the 2004 British Open using Sonartec's MD Transition model hybrid off the tee, as well as around the green in his short game.
According to Golf Datatech, a Kissimmee, Fla.-based retail market research firm, hybrids account for 20% of all wood sales at on- and off-course shops. (They also estimate that total retail sales for golf hard-good retail sales for 2004 were approximately $2.5 billion.) And if that's not reason enough to consider these new clubs, take a look at the Pro Tour. They are now a staple in every pro's bag. "Hybrid irons have been growing in popularity. Sales have been spiking over the last 12 months," said Tom Stine of Golf Datatech.
Clubmakers this year are offering a wide combination of hybrid sets that are designed to replace the traditional 2 through 5 irons. They feature oversized faces for forgiveness and graphite or steel shaft technology that dampens vibration.
Drivers are getting lighter, stronger and more customizable than ever before. Take the new Redline RPM 430Q driver from Adams Golf or TaylorMade's r7 quad for example, which features TLC (TaylorMade Launch Control) delivering six sets of launch conditions resulting in six trajectories. The r7 quad and the 430Q feature four cartridges in the club head that are removable, enabling players to change the center of gravity to customize launch conditions that work best with their swing. The Redline RPM has a deep-faced 430 cc titanium club head, which translates to a higher launch angle and lower spin rate.
Even clothing companies and sunglass makers continue to push the boundaries of technology and fashion. Fidra golf apparel, worn by pros such as Zach Johnson, has some of the season's best choices. Their storm-proof pant is made of a 100% waterproof and breathable tricot stretch fabric for maximum comfort in adverse conditions. Fairway & Greene offers golf wear for men and women in an array of colors from classical to tropical brights and pastels. Their new black-based collection for 2005 features bold contrast accent stripes.
Industry professionals predict that future technology will be geared toward shaft technology. Now that the USGA has set a core limit of 83%, which means that a ball can only give back 83% of what you give it to be legal, technology has shifted away from club surfaces that power the ball. The key, they say now, is to produce clubs that swing faster to give golfers extra yardage off the tee.